Hanoi (VNA) - Minister of Health Nguyen Thi Kim Tien and Director of
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of the
US Robert Redfield signed a
memorandum of understanding (MoU) on cooperation in infection prevention and antibiotic
resistance and infection surveillance related to medical care in Hanoi on
December 12.

The MoU is intended to strengthen the capacity of infection prevention programmes,
including conducting risk assessments, developing policies and guidelines, and monitoring
and evaluating relevant programmes.

It also aims to improve testing capacity to detect antibiotic-resistance
pathogens through training and consultation; exchange isolated strains of
bacteria, and share information on best practices and scientific advances in microbiological
testing techniques.

The two sides will exchange personnel and materials serving training
programmes; organise meetings, conferences and workshops related to infection
and drug resistance control, and work in expanding the national supervision system
on antibiotic resistance and infection in health care.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Minister Tien highlighted the close
cooperation between the health sectors of the two countries, saying that the
two sides have given priority to enhancing collaboration in preventive health,
human resources training and drug resistance prevention.

She thanked the US Government, the Department of Health and Human Services
(HHS), and the CDC, while highly valuing cooperation of officials of the CDC
office in Vietnam with the Vietnamese health sector.

The Minister expressed the hope that the two sides will continue to effectively
cooperate in preventing HIV/AIDS and drug resistance, preventive health, and medical
personnel training, and other cooperation activities in the framework of the MoU
signed between the Vietnamese Ministry of Health and the HHS in 2017.

For his part, Redfield expressed his joy at
achievements made by Vietnam’s health sector, especially in preventing and
controlling HIV/AIDS.

Vietnam became the 15th country in the world to receive the US
Government’s assistance in the fight against HV/AIDS through PEPFAR in 2004.

He appreciated Vietnam’s policy on expanding the coverage of health insurance to
those living with HIV/AIDS and was impressed by the Health Emergency Operations
Centre (EOC) in Vietnam.

He hoped to enhance cooperation between his agency and the Vietnamese side in preventing
bird flu, stressing that that Vietnam’s sharing of information related to the
influenza strains is very useful for research and production of vaccines across
the globe.